Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
7:00 p.m. ET. Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, Featured Columnist Dan Dinunzio here, live blogging the Boise State-Virginia Tech game as we get to see whether Boise State is really a national championship contender and whether the Hokies are headed in the right direction to a BCS Bowl. Join me for the next four hours as we talk everything from X’s and O’s to Erin Andrews to the blue Smurf Turf.
The excitement level and implications have never been bigger for a season-opener. Can Virginia Tech defense stop the prolific offense of Boise State led by quarterback Kellen Moore?
Virginia Tech has two offensive starts of their own in senior quarterback Tyrod Taylor and star tailback Ryan Williams. There’s no doubting the coaching talent in this game as Chris Petersen leads his Broncos against Frank Beamer’s Hokies.
Stay tuned as we are less than an hour away from kickoff.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Updates will load automatically – no need to refresh.
11:41 p.m. ET. Wow, this is all your going to hear now until Boise State plays at home against Oregon State. You have to give props to Chris Petersen and his Broncos. What a way to go on the road across country and leave FedEx Stadium winners. This game lived up to the billing and now college football could have a year-long debate on hand.
Let’s see if the Boise State can do the unthinkable and appear in the National Championship Game in January.
11:34 p.m. ET. Tyrod Taylor nearly hits Jarrett Boykins down on the sideline near the ten yard line. But the ball falls through his hands and it is all over.
Let the debate begin folks, Boise State 33 Virginia Tech 30
11:33 p.m. ET. Boise State has stepped up the defensive pressure. Now Virginia Tech has an ultimatum with a 4th and 11.
11:31 p.m. ET. Brett Musburger is absolutely loving the courage and belief in Boise State. Now there is 46 seconds remaining and Virginia Tech faces a 3rd and 11.
11:28 p.m. Boise State strikes again with a 15 yard Austin Pettis touchdown grab from Kellen Moore. Absolutely stunning to watch the Broncos just march down the field with the help of the referees. When Boise State has their backs against the wall they always respond.
Now it is Virginia Tech’s turn to respond with 69 seconds remaining in the game.
11:26 p.m. The tide is starting to turn Boise State’s direction. They are inside the fifteen yard line after an absolutely ridiculous atrocious call by the referees that was a late hit.
This is just despicable to watch. The referees have done an awful job tonight.
11:23 p.m. ET. Taylor fails to convert on 4th and 8 and Boise State will get the ball one last time and they need a touchdown.
There was a questionable call for a block in the back, but the referees didn’t call it. Now Boise State gets the ball at the forty-five yardline and is ready to drive.
11:20 p.m ET. There is 2:10 left in the game and Virginia Tech has 2nd and 6. They only have one timeout left and one more first down will effectively end the game.
A third-down coming up will decide whether or not Boise State gets one more chance with the ball.
11:17 p.m. ET. Boise State is unable to stop the Hokies on 3rd and 2. Now Virginia Tech has the ball with under four minutes left and the Broncos only have two timeouts.
Another first-down conversion under three minutes and the clock is closing quickly.
11:14 p.m. ET. Boise State fails to pick up a third and 7 with a little more than five minutes to go. Kyle Brotzman does his job and pins the Hokies inside the ten yardline. With only two timeouts left Boise State needs a quick three and out by their defense. It is officially crunchtime.
11:11 p.m. ET. Kellen Moore comes up big once again converting on third and long. This first down moves the chains and gives Boise hope with only six minutes to go.
11:06 p.m. ET. Virginia Tech gets stopped on third down, but extends the lead with a 34 yard field goal. Now Boise State trails 30 to 26 midway through the fourth quarter. Time is running out for Boise and the Broncos need to make a drive down the field and score a touchdown.
11:01 p.m. ET. Virginia Tech faces a very important 3rd and 8 here with 7:46 left in the game. Boise State needs to stop them from converting because right now everything is going the Hokies way.
Holding them to a potential three points is crucial as the clock continues to wind down.
10:59 p.m. ET. Wow, the back of the hand is not down on the ground. You don’t see that everyday. It is not Boise State’s night after a dash and scramble by Taylor on that big conversion. The Broncos have to hold Virginia Tech to three points or it could be difficult to come back.
10:55 p.m. ET. Story of the night for Boise State: penalties, penalties, and more penalties. This is absolutely killing them right now. Virginia Tech is looking to put down the hammer as they are driving into Boise State territory.
The secondary of Boise State is really missing Kyle Wilson right now.
10:51 p.m. ET. Tragic drive there for Boise State come away with no points. A field goal attempt from the left-hash goes wide left. That could not have been any worse for the Broncos.
10:47 p.m. ET. Boise State continues to march down the field. The offensive line has been very physical up-front all night. They have the ball down in the red-zone and are looking to regain the lead in what has become a second-half battle.
10:41 p.m. ET. Tittus Young picks up another huge third-down conversion to move the chains. Young has caught 6 balls for 80 yards tonight. Boise State continues to answer Va Tech’s punch.
10:35 p.m. ET. Jarrett Boykins catches a 28 yard touchdown after a miss tackle with one-on-one outside coverage. That is six points that puts Va Tech back on top. Now Va Tech is going to go for two to try and extend the lead to a field goal.
Taylor gets sacked in the backfield and limps off the field. Boise State is now down one point. With under three minutes to play in the third quarter Virginia Tech leads 27 to 26.
10:32 p.m. ET. Tyrod Taylor just barely overthrows his wide receiver Davis toward the endzone. He would have walked in for a touchdown. No confidence in the kicker after that miss. Now Virginia Tech is going for it on fourth and 5.
10:30 p.m. ET. Awful lot of penalties being called here. I just predicted a holding call before the play even took place. It was after the pass interference call that resulted in a 15 yard penalty on Boise State.
The referees need to let the boys play a little bit.
10:24 p.m. ET. Darren Harper just took it to the house on 3rd and 1 for a 71 yard touchdown run. A huge lift for the Broncos who were struggling to find any type of movement on offense. This is exactly what Chris Petersen needed from his team.
Bud Foster has to be upset with that big of a letdown after taking the lead for the first time tonight. Va Tech did manage to block the kick but now is behind once again.
Boise State 26 Virginia Tech 21
10:22 p.m. ET. Kellen Moore is 15 of 24 for 123 passing yards with two touchdowns passing. He has been steady all-night and now trailing has to pick it up.
10:17 p.m. ET. Tyrod Taylor is an efficient 8 for 9 with 102 yard passing and one touchdown on the night. Ryan Williams runs it in the endzone for yet another touchdown, and Boise State is trailing for the first time tonight! Last time Boise trailed in the second half of a regular season game was against Hawaii in 2007. This is by far unchartered territory for this Broncos team.
On the road in a hostile environment the momentum has taken a 360 degree turn in favor of Va Tech. The deficit that was once 17-0, is now a lead.
Virginia Tech 21 Boise State 20
10:13 p.m. ET. Kellen Moore costly error results in another Boise State fumble. Va Tech recovers and takes over in Boise territory. This is the best chance yet for Va Tech to take the lead in this game. They need to put atleast three points on the board here.
10:08 p.m. ET. Boise State’s defense answers the call and Va Tech goes three and out. It is now time for the Broncos to try and extend the lead.
10:03 p.m. ET. Davan Morgan has a pass-deflection on 3rd and 9. Boise State has to punt once again and Va Tech now has a chance to take the lead if it can march down the field and score a touchdown.
Let’s see if the Boise State defense can respond and play with the intensity it had to start the game. If not then they could be facing a deficit for the first time tonight.
9:38 p.m. ET. Beamer ball strikes again. Va Tech just tips a punt to end the first half. The Hokies prevent the deficit from getting any bigger. Virginia Tech has to ride the momentum it has picked up in this second quarter.
Not bad for all the mistakes they have made on special teams. That is usually the area that Va Tech excels in. Boise State will start the second half with the ball and it could use a score to start the third quarter.
It seems that the Virginia Tech defense has started to figure out the Boise State offense attack. At halftime Boise State leads 20 to 14.
9:33 p.m. ET. Tittus Young gets a free release on 2nd and 9 and moves the chains another 21 yards. Boise State picks up another first down and is approaching field-goal range. Less than 30 seconds remain in the first half.
9:28 p.m. ET. Virginia Tech capitalizes on the Boise turnover and Tyrod Taylor finds Ryan Williams wide-open in the end-zone for a 12 yard touchdown pass. The Hokies have certainly turned it around from how they started the game. With two minutes left in the half the Boise State lead has been cut to six.
Boise State 20 Virginia Tech 14.
9:25 p.m. ET. Boise State’s first big mistake of the night begins with a fumble recovery by Va Tech. It gives the Hokies another chance to put points on the board. This is the time for Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams to step it up.
You can hear the crowd loud and clear with a chant of “Let’s Go Hokies,” spreading throughout FedEx Field.
McClellan comes with a big sack on third down. Virginia Tech special team woes continue with a missed 34 yard field goal from the left hash.
Not what Frank Beamer wants to see from his team after they were driving down deep in Boise State territory. That is very dissappointing to come away with no points.
9:18 p.m. ET. Favoring the home crowd. I strongly disagree with that call. Boise State defender was just trying to finish the play and the referee slapped him with a 15 yard personal foul call.
9:15 p.m. ET. Sophomore Demarcus Davis catches a 24 yard pass from Taylor on 3rd and 11. Va Tech picked up the blitz nicely and is now once again moving into Boise State territory.
It looks like the Hokies have gotten more aggressive on offense and are gaining yards in bunches.
9:10 p.m. ET. Kyle Brotzman says he can make field goals from the left-hash. He just converted a 47 yard field goal after a drive that started at the 40 because Va Tech kickoff went out-of-bounce.
Boise State 20 Virginia Tech 7.
9:05 p.m. ET. Just when Frank Beamer needed his team to answer the potent Boise State attack, they did. This touchdown drive included a couple of big third-down conversions. Just under 12 minutes left in the second quarter.
Boise State was favored all summer long, but over the last couple of weeks that changed. It is now Va. Tech that trying to comeback from the strong start that Boise State came out with.
Tyrod Taylor comes up huge on a 3rd and 20. He finds Jarrett Boykins for 34 yards down to the one yard line. Ryan Matthews pushes into the end-zone on second and goal. He fought off an initial hit at the line and crossed the goal-line.
That was a big drive for Virginia Tech to get on the board. Boise State 17 Virginia Tech 7
8:55 p.m. ET. The first play of the second quarter and Tyrod Taylor uses his legs to get the first Va Tech first-down of the night. He follows it up with a completion to Dyrell Roberts and the Hokies have finally crossed midfield.
Va Tech has shown a sign of life for the first time tonight.
8:53 p.m. ET. Boise State has come out and played like the BCS national program that they claim to be. I guess Chris Petersen wasn’t kidding when he said his team would play anybody in the country anywhere anytime.
They clearly aren’t intimidated by the crowd. It is all Boise State thus far in the first half.
8:51 p.m. ET: Glad to see The Situation getting the top banner ad on bleacherreport.com
Tommy Gallarda make a spectacular catch in the corner of the end-zone. He gets his elbow under the ball and takes the ball to the ground.
If the play stands it will be Boise State 17-0. I don’t think there is enough evidence to overturn that call. Kellen Moore throws his second touchdown on the night.
Ruling is confirmed. Boise State 17 Virginia Tech 0. The Hokies need to wake-up before the deficit is too much to overcome.
8:44 p.m. ET. How about these nike pro-combat uniforms. It pins the Virginia Tech black uniforms against the Boise State greys. I love the Boise State bronco all blue helmet. What a design by nike. It seems the trip across the country hasn’t phased Boise one bit.
8:41 p.m. ET. Va Tech defensive coordinator has his hands full with this Boise offense. Chris Petersen has established the tempo and dictating the speed. Boise State picks up another big 3rd and 2.
Boise State continues to move down the field and now has another red-zone trip.
8:38 p.m. ET. Flags are flying now. After a tremendous run on 3rd and 18 Boise State elected not to go for it on 4th and 1. I would have liked to see the Broncos go for the knockout punch there.
Two big penalties here. A running into the kicker and an unnecessary late hit. This certainly is not Frank Beamer football. He needs to get his players attention and stop these stupid mistakes.
8:35 p.m. ET. Austin Pettis comes up huge again on third and long with a catch over the middle. Kellen Moore is off to great a start going 6 for 7 34 yards and a touchdown.
8:27 p.m. ET. Ryan Williams is stuffed on third and two. Three plays and Virginia Tech is yet to gain a first down. This Boise State defense is imposing their will off the ball. Down in the trenches Va Tech has a lot of adjustments to make.
Austin Pettis catches an 8 yard touchdown pass from Kellen Moore for the first touchdown of the season. With 9:48 left in the first quarter Boise State leads 10-0.
8:19 ET. Virginia Tech goes three and out on their first full series. One observation that stands out is the speed and strength of the Boise State defense.
The momentum continues to swing towards the Broncos. A blocked punt has given Boise State the ball inside the red zone.
8:14 p.m ET. Boise State goes three and out but because of the turnover hits on a field-goal from 44 yards. Capitalizing off the opponents mistakes is going to be a big part of winning tonight.
Boise State 3 Virginia Tech 0
8:08 p.m. ET: Tyrod Taylor is 23-5 as a starter at Virginia Tech.
All the build-up to this game and the Hokies start off with a flea-flicker. Pass interference call that gives them fifteen yards.
First big mistake of the game and Taylor fumbles the snap and Boise recovers it. Wow, all offseason and a simple center-quarterback exchange goes wrong the second play of the game.
On another note this is a large and loud crowd that is heavily favoring Virginia Tech.
8:06 p.m. ET Boise State has won the toss and will be kicking off to Virginia Tech. It looks like the home crowd of the Hokies will start with the ball. They will put it in the hands of Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Williams to began the game.
Keep an eye on David Wilson on this kickoff.
7:58 P.M. ET. I really like Boise State in this game on this stage. Yes, Virginia Tech is a quality ACC opponent but the drive to the BCS National Championship game begins here and now.
I’m going to predict Boise State victory by slim margins. Broncos 31 Hokies 28
Let’s watch and see what happens! 80,000 plus on hand to watch one of the biggest games in Boise State history.
7:51 p.m. ET. Heather Cox is the sideline reporter for tonight. She is talking with Frank Beamer who realizes the tough task that his team is facing. One interesting note is that Virginia Tech will be wearing the brand-new nike pro-combat black uniforms.
7:37 p.m. ET. Brett Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit are on the call tonight at FedEx field. Everybody is talking about the Broncos and their chances to make it to a BCS Bowl, but Virginia Tech has as much at stake tonight as Boise State does.
If the Hokies win tonight they could be in the drivers-seat heading into ACC conference play. Leading up to tonight it was believed that Boise State would be the favorite, but the line has actually moved in favor of Virginia Tech.
7: 29 p.m. ET. The dynamic weapon that Virginia Tech has and is going to have to use tonight effectively tonight is Tyrod Taylor. He has speed and athleticism to keep the Boise State defenders on their heels all night.
New cornerback of the Broncos Jamar Taylor is going to be tested as he is the only new starter for Boise. Cornerback Kyle Wilson is now in the NFL and his performance on defense and in the return game is going to be missed.
7:15 p.m. ET. Two stats to start the night off with. Head coach of Boise State Chris Petersen is an outstanding 49-4 in his first four seasons. Not to forget that his team is coming off an unprecedented 14-0 season.
The other is that Virginia Tech is 0-21 away against teams ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll. Does that losing streak get snapped tonight?
I don’t remember this much anticipation for a college football game on Labor Day weekend. People have been talking about this match-up since January.
The night is finally here.
Incoming search terms for the article:
- virginia tech uniforms ,
- austin pettis boise state ,
- virginia tech boise state ,
- boise state virginia tech ,
- virginia tech 11/26 ,
- vt vs boise state ,
Read Also
Related Topics
Tags: Analysis, austin pettis boise state, blog, Boise, boise state virginia tech, Football, LIVE, new, State, Stats, Tech, VIRGINIA, virginia tech boise state, virginia tech uniforms, virginia tech uniforms vs boise, vt vs boise state